Green Hot Chili Peppers

A couple of weeks ago, my farm produce bag brought me a whole bunch of hot peppers--green chili peppers and jalapeños. "What do I do with these?" I thought. And the subsequent search led me to a couple of really yummy recipes, both from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Primero: Baked Chicken Chiles Rellenos

It's kind of like Chiles Rellenos inside out.

Ingredients:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 4-ounce can whole green chile peppers, rinsed, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise. (I just used fresh ones, since that's what I had.)
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into six 2-x1/2-inch sticks.
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro or fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 8-ounce jar green or red salsa

Directions:
1. Place each chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound chicken lightly into rectangles about 1/8-inch thick. Remove plastic wrap.
2. In a shallow dish combine the flour, cornmeal, and cayenne pepper. Place egg in a second shallow dish; add water and beat lightly to combine.
3. Place a chile pepper half on each chicken piece near an edge. Place a stick of cheese on each chile pepper half. Sprinkle with snipped [parsley] and black pepper. Fold in side edges; roll up from the edge with cheese and chile pepper. Secure with wooden toothpick.
4. Dip chicken rolls in egg mixture; coat with cornmeal mixture. Place rolls, seam sides down, in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with butter.
5. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove toothpicks. Meanwhile, heat salsa; serve over chicken.


Y Segundo: Salsa!

I've never made homemade salsa before. And this recipe makes that great, fresh-chopped kind that's so cool and refreshing and just makes you feel healthy.

Ingredients:
1 cup seeded and finely chopped tomato (3 small)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion (1 small)
2-4 fresh serrano, habañero, or jalapeño chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped (I recommend you wear rubber gloves, especially if using the spicier peppers)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro [OF COURSE, I left this out. And it made it ever-so-much more delicious for me and most of my cilantro-hating family.]
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions: Basically, chop it all up and stir it all together in a bowl, then chill it for 2-48 hours. Yum! (The chopping got a bit tedious, as you may be able to tell from some of the big chunks in the picture below. If I could have one real chef skill, it would be speedy chopping.)